Brit. Lit. Flashcards
large part due to the imperial, nationalist activity of the British Empire.
Ubiquity of the English Language
early limits on the king’s power; cannot tax or go to war without consultation
the government is not above the law; all are equal under the law
Magna Carta (1215)
Parliaments (House of Lords/House of Commons, House/Senate, etc.)
Bicameral legislature
(as opposed to Civil Law, or law by statute)
Over a third of the world’s nations employ common law or a mix of common law and civil law.
Common Law-law by precedent
is disorderly, violent or destructive behavior perpetrated by spectators at association football events. Normally involves conflict between gangs, known as football firms (derived from the British slang for a criminal gang), formed to intimidate and attack supporters of other teams.
Football hooliganism or soccer hooliganism
an alternative name for the island of Great Britain. The oldest attestation of the toponym comes from the Greek language. It is sometimes used poetically to refer to the island but has fallen out of common use in English.
Albion
an informal and typically affectionate term for Britain or England, chiefly as used by soldiers of World War I and World War II (possibly a corruption of an Urdu word for foreigner, but only “possibly”).
Blighty
is best known as a national personification of the United Kingdom.
Britannia
You’ve probably heard this term a whole lot, and never really bothered with it. It refers to the fact that the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. This is a BIG MESS, as it has affected everything from borders (particularly the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland) to guitar sales (no one can afford to buy English guitars now b/c they have lost some of their European deals!) Scotland did NOT want to leave the EU, and their disagreement with England may be one more reason Scotland will name if they declare independence from the United Kingdom.
Brexit
We will talk about the Empire at length, but basically this refers to the period of time from the 17th to the mid 20th century, during which at first England, then the UK, extended rule or at least managed a number of regions around the world. While the effects of imperialism are numerous and important, even more significant has been the process of decolonization, which began in the early 20th century and reached a high point in the 1960s. Decolonization has brought along its own set of problems, many which figure significantly in current global politics.
The British Empire
The Commonwealth of Nations, generally known simply as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 54 member states, nearly all former territories of the British Empire. These nations work together to solve environmental, economic, and cultural issues.
The Commonwealth
this is the official political name of what we often refer to as Britain, England, Ol Blighty, etc. BUT, please keep in mind that the United Kingdom is actually made up of FOUR different political units
The United Kingdom
the sort of “mama” of the whole UK—a sentiment which is not appreciated by the rest of the kingdom.
England
a region with its own absolutely unreadable and unspeakable language (all consonants) and very steeped in Celtic traditions. Very rich in Arthurian lore
Wales
Shares much with England but has its own distinct dialect and traditions, and even its own official church.
Scotland
A mess. A big mess, which contains a mixed population of pro-UK Protestants (Orangemen) and usually pro-independence Catholics. They do NOT get along very well, but more on that later.
Northern Ireland
This refers to the entire region that comprises the big island of Britain (Great Britain) and the smaller island of Ireland, and all of the islands off the coast of either of the larger islands.
The British Isles
divided politically into the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom; the Republic of Ireland is independent.
Ireland
all nations, ethnic groups, or other communities think of themselves as exceptional, in that their histories, heroes, etc., are out of the ordinary. However, some nations have demonstrated a belief that they are more exceptional, or even superior to others. Most of us have heard of the concept of American Exceptionalism, which is based on the idea that our nation was forged out of ideas that are not based on the history of a certain ethnicity, as are most nations, and that our nation is constantly moving towards the greater good of all people. But we did not invent this idea of being a sort of “new Jerusalem,” that is, that our nation has a special mission to the rest of the world. The inhabitants of the island of Britain, very early on, had a sense of being superior to other European nations.
English Exceptionalism
refers to the ISLAND that contains England, Wales, and Scotland.
Great Britain
England was an island, protected somewhat from invaders from Europe (though the island had been settled early by invaders from the Scandinavian regions). Furthermore, it was a fairly fertile island, with generally decent weather.
England’s unique geography
While the relatively isolated position of Britain did not prevent it from being conquered by William the Conqueror of France in 1066 (the reason we have so many French words in English), the English people—okay, the nobles, at least—had a strong sense of independence. Forcing King John to sign the Magna Carta was an early indication of England’s sense of human dignity (a sense that did not apply to the men and women they later enslaved, apparently), and established that no one, not the government or the king, was above the law. This concept is encapsulated in a favorite English phrase: “Never a slave.”
Never a slave: Magna Carta, 1215
England had been rife with religious conflicts since its earliest days, but in the 16th century, Henry VIII, the second most famous member of the Tudor family—and the one with the most wives—broke completely with the Pope, and therefore, with Roman Catholicism (and started his own dang church, The Church of England (CoE). This is yet another symbol of the English refusal to accept rule from just anyone. This move gives the English another reason to see themselves as apart from Europe, as most of Europe remained Catholic and embroiled in the politics of Rome.
Later: Protestant
the idea that God has a special place or role for special nations, to be demonstrated through the virtues and actions of the nation’s leaders as well as its citizens. Is often addressed in English
Providentialism
if we are to believe in any sense in a “national character,” as many English writers do, it is attributed not to racial, environmental, or demographic aspects of the nation, but rather its “spiritual superstructure,” which is instead the product of language, law, education, and religion—in other words, it’s built into English culture. An emphasis on individual religion implied that even though the English may not always be religiously observant, they were still innately religious.
God’s Englishman
Clearly, God’s Favorites were meant to spread the Word, along with the Western Civilization. This prompted adventurers, businessmen, missionaries, and solid English bureaucrats out into the wilds of the world. In fact, the “public schools” (largely boys’ schools, and very expensive, i.e., private) saw as one of their missions the education of the children of English nobles in a type of “masculine Christianity,” which saw as one of the duties of God’s Englishman (or British, after 1800) the subjugation of “uncivilized” people and their subsequent conversion.
Progress
Given the religious underpinnings of the expansion of the British Empire, it is no surprise to find that by the turn of the 20th century, ironically, at its second most expansive point (the first is after WWI), many of those at home questioned the justification of subjugation as a method of civilization. After all, the United Kingdom’s sense of moral duty included instruction in democratic principles, yet the people introduced to these western notions were often treated in ways far removed from democratic principles. Not surprisingly, the very educations that the British often offered to its colonials often inspired leaders in the colonies to fight for independence. These two forces, one from the metropole, and one from the periphery, prompted the decades long movement of decolonization.
Moral contradictions
a series of stories that explains how things have come to be, or demonstrates events and virtues that are important to a particular group. While you may think of mythologies as inherently untrue, please note that in literature and anthropology, these texts are not evaluated for truth value; instead, we read these stories for what they say about a group.
Mythology
In the years after the Battle of Hastings and the shameful events of 1066, Geoffrey, perhaps as a morale booster, composed a very fanciful tale, c. 1139, called The History of the Kings of Britain, which gives us the basis of most Arthurian legend, including his birth, the interactions with Merlin, etc. This supposed history was assumed to be entirely made up, even in its own time, even though Geoffrey claimed to have access to a secret Celtic document.
Geoffrey of Monmouth
wrote Le Morte d’Arthur. There is a great deal of controversy over the actual identity of Malory. Still, it’s likely that he was an adventurer who somehow got into political trouble during the War of the Roses. This violent period of time concerned a number of those living in England, and it doesn’t seem to be a coincidence that Malory’s version of events emphasizes much of the distrust and dissension seen in the latter days of the Round Table.
Thomas Malory
A favorite of painters, designers, and poets, the stories of Arthur appeared frequently in mid-Victorian culture, perhaps as a comment on the increasing chaos of the 19th century. Arthurian motifs were a favorite of the Pre-Raphaelites, particularly Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris, and the poet Tennyson, whose Idylls of the King retold the legends in poetic form. The Victorian interest in Arthur emphasized the nature of leadership and its importance; some have also read a reflection of the morality of imperialism in this interest as well.
The Victorians
